Author Archives: JJ Bona

Paramount has their ‘Eagle Eye’ on a director for ‘G.I. Joe 3′

Fan reception to G.I. Joe: Retaliation was somewhat mixed but it seems Dwayne ‘The Rock” Johnson’s box office prowess carried the movie to global success. Now, Paramount is on a mission to bring the popular franchise back on the big screen once again. First, director Jon M. Chu (G.I. Joe: Retaliation, Justin Bieber’s Believe) was in talks to helm the third installment. Then Martin Campbell (Goldeneye, Casino Royale) came and went. Now, … Continue reading

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Jino Kang is the ‘Weapon of Choice’ for a perfect kill!

Director. Producer. Writer. Stuntman. Oh yeah, he also holds a black belt in Hapkido, Tae Kwon Do and Kyokoshin-Kai Karate. The man I speak of is Jino Kang (Blade Warrior) and he’s back with another action-packed, independent martial arts thriller titled Weapon of Choice, also known as Fist 2 Fist 2 – a sequel by name only to 2011’s Fist 2 Fist (click here for our review). Retired assassin, Jack Lee … Continue reading

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Behind Enemy Lines | Blu-ray (Olive Films)

RELEASE DATE: March 31, 2015 Olive Films presents the Blu-ray for 1997’s Behind Enemy Lines, starring Thomas Ian Griffith (The Karate Kid Part III, Hollow Point). It’s Excessive Force meets Rambo: First Blood Part II! An ex-marine (Griffith) and his well trained crew, return to Vietnam, after he discovers a former colleague isn’t dead but being held by a sadistic Communist general. Behind Enemy Lines also stars Chris Mulkey, Mark Carlton and Spanky … Continue reading

Posted in DVD/Blu-ray New Releases, Martial Arts Titles |

Escape from New York: Collector’s Edition | Blu-ray (Shout! Factory)

RELEASE DATE: April 21, 2015 Shout! Factory presents the Escape from New York: Collector’s Edition Blu-ray. John Carpenter’s 1981 cult classic gets Shout’s “Collector’s Edition” treatment, so expect a load of brand new extra features! In 1997, when the U.S. President (Donald Pleasence) crashes into Manhattan, which is now a giant maximum security prison, a convicted bank robber (Kurt Russell) is sent in for a rescue. Also starring Lee Van Cleef, Ernest Borgnine, Donald Pleasence, … Continue reading

Posted in DVD/Blu-ray New Releases, Other Notable Titles |

Firepower | Blu-ray (Scorpion Releasing)

RELEASE DATE: March 10, 2015 Scorpion Releasing presents the Limited Edition Blu-ray for 1979’s Firepower, directed by Michael Winner (Death Wish). In Firepower, a merc is hired by the FBI to track down a powerful recluse criminal. At the same time, a woman is also trying to track him down for her own personal vendetta. Firepower stars James Coburn, O.J. Simpson, Sophia Loren, Eli Wallach, Anthony Franciosa, George Grizzard, Vincent Gardenia, … Continue reading

Posted in DVD/Blu-ray New Releases, Other Notable Titles |

Deal on Fire! The Art of War | Blu-ray | Only $8.69 – Expires soon!

Today’s Deal on Fire is the Blu-ray for The Art of War, starring Wesley Snipes (The Blade Trilogy), Marie Matiko (The Corruptor), Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa (Mortal Kombat), Michael Biehn (Terminator), Donald Sutherland (Hunger Games), James Hong (Big Trouble in Little China), Glen Chin (Knock-Off) and Ron Yuan (The Girl from the Naked Eye). Fun Fact: The Art of War was intended to be Jet Li’s first starring role in a Hollywood movie, but after he turned it down for Romeo Must … Continue reading

Posted in Deals on Fire!, News |

Deal on Fire! Let the Bullets Fly | Blu-ray | Only $8.38 – Expires soon!

Today’s Deal on Fire is the Blu-ray for Let the Bullets Fly, directed by and starring Jiang We (The Lost Bladesman) and Chow Yun-fat (Treasure Hunt, The Corruptor). This Chinese approximation of a spaghetti Western was a breakout hit at the Chinese box office and it also earned Wen a Best Director trophy at the Hong Kong Film Critic’s Society Awards. Read our review. The film also stars Carina Lau (Young Detective Dee: Rise of … Continue reading

Posted in Deals on Fire!, News |

Blind Woman’s Curse | Blu-ray (Arrow Video)

RELEASE DATE: April 21, 2015 Arrow Video presents the Blu-ray for 1970’s Blind Woman’s Curse (aka Black Cat’s Revenge), directed by cult director Teruo Ishii (Shogun’s Joys of Torture). Akemi (Meiko Kaji from Lady Snowblood) is a tattooed leader of the Tachibana Yakuza clan. In a duel with a rival gang, Akemi slashes the eyes of an opponent and a black cat appears, to lap the blood from the gushing … Continue reading

Posted in Asian Titles, DVD/Blu-ray New Releases, Martial Arts Titles |

Arcana | DVD (Tokyo Shock)

RELEASE DATE: April 28, 2015 Tokyo Shock presents the DVD for Arcana, a 2013 Japanese suspense thriller directed by Yoshitaka Yamaguchi (Samurai Cat), and based on the manga of the same name by Yua Kotegawa. In Arcana, a detective named Murakami teams up with an amnesiac hospital patient to stop a mass murderer. The film stars Tao Tsuchiya, Masataka Nakagauchi, Kaito, Takuya Uehara, Hajime Taniguchi, Masashi Taniguchi and Masahiro Noguchi. Watch the … Continue reading

Posted in Asian Titles, DVD/Blu-ray New Releases |

Ninja: Immovable Heart | DVD (Uncork’d Entertainment)

RELEASE DATE: March 3, 2015 A ninja flick with the car from Mad Max? Uncork’d Entertainment presents the DVD for the 2014 Australian martial arts flick Ninja: Immovable Heart, directed by and starring Rob Baard with Roger Neave and Danny Glover. Reeve (Baard) is a member of an elite covert group who is captured, beaten and brutally tortured by the very government he used to work for. With the help of his … Continue reading

Posted in DVD/Blu-ray New Releases, Martial Arts Titles |

Outcast | Blu-ray & DVD (Phase 4 Films)

RELEASE DATE: March 31, 2015 Phase 4 Films presents the Blu-ray & DVD for Outcast, starring Nicolas Cage (Face/Off) and Hayden Christensen (Star Wars: Episode III). In Outcast, a mysterious warrior teams up with the daughter and son of a deposed Chinese Emperor to defeat their cruel Uncle, who seeks their deaths. The film also stars Yifei Liu (The Assassins), Andy On (Special ID), Ron Smoorenburg (Who Am I?), Jawed El-Berni … Continue reading

Posted in Asian Titles, DVD/Blu-ray New Releases, Martial Arts Titles |

Wong Kar-Wai’s ‘Grandmaster’ re-released/re-structured in 3D!

Wong Kar-Wai’s epic martial arts feature, The Grandmaster (read our review), will be re-released in China with a new 3D conversion. Despite a shorter runtime of 111 minutes (the original international cut was 11 minutes longer), the re-release features a “new structure and more streamlined storytelling,” according to The Playlist (via FCS). The Grandmaster – starring Tony Leung Chiu Wai and Zhang Ziyi – is inspired by the life and times of … Continue reading

Posted in News |

R.I.P. Chang Il Do (aka Bruce Lai), Korean actor, martial artist

KFC (via Toby Russell) has reported the death of Korean martial artist and actor, Chang Il Do, better known as Bruce Lai, who died at the age of 64 (not to be confused with Mun Kyong-sok, aka Dragon Lee). Chang – who also goes by the names Chang Yi Dao, Philip Cheung or Cheung Yat Dao – is widely known for starring in a string of classic Bruceploitation movies. Some of his titles include Lau … Continue reading

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Our Blu-ray/DVD release list for January packs a mean punch!

A fresh New Year means new goals to pursue, new adventures to enjoy, new people to meet and new memories to create. Most importantly, it means adding some new titles to your Blu-ray & DVD collection – so let us help you with this priority! The month of January is jam-packed with titles that every martial arts/Asian/Action film enthusiast will appreciate: The Sword of Doom, Once Upon a Time in Shanghai, … Continue reading

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Class of 1984 | Blu-ray (Shout! Factory)

RELEASE DATE: April 14, 2015 Shout! Factory presents the Blu-ray for the 1982 cult classic flick, Class of 1984, directed by Mark Lester (Commando). Class of 1984 revolves around a newly hired music teacher at a troubled high school, where students have to pass through a metal detector due to problems with gangs, drugs and violence. The film stars Timothy Van Patten, Roddy McDowall, Stefan Arngrim, Lisa Langlois, Keith Knight, Neil … Continue reading

Posted in DVD/Blu-ray New Releases, News, Other Notable Titles |